Kia Forte
The Kia Forte, known as the K3 in South Korea, the Forte K3 or Shuma in China and Cerato in South America and Australia is a compact car produced by Kia Motors since mid-2008. It replaced the Kia Cerato/Spectra and is available in two-door coupe, four-door sedan, five-door hatchback variants. It is not available in Europe, where the similar sized Kia Ceed is offered.
In some markets, such as Costa Rica, Australia and Brazil, the Forte is marketed as Kia Cerato replacing its predecessor of the same name. In Colombia and Singapore, the name Cerato Forte was used for the second generation, while Naza Automotive Manufacturing of Malaysia has assembled the vehicle since 2009, selling it there under the name Naza Forte.
First generation (TD; 2009)
The first generation Forte shares the same platform as the Hyundai Avante/Elantra, though employing a torsion-beam rear suspension in place of the Elantra's multilink design.Kia has stated that the Forte was specifically designed to target younger buyers attracted to sharper auto designs.
In North America, the Forte replaced the Kia Spectra compact 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchbacks, with a new 2-door coupe body style also being introduced.
Coupe (Koup)
The two-door coupe "Forte Koup" was originally unveiled as a concept car in the form of the "Kia Koup" on 20 March 2008 at the New York International Auto Show. The concept sported a twin scroll turbocharged version of the 2.0-liter Theta II inline-four engine. The production Forte Koup is badged as the "Kia Cerato Koup" in Australia, Costa Rica, Russia and South Africa. It is called the "Kia Shuma" in China, and "Kia Koup" in Chile.Sedan
The Forte sedan was designed in Kia's California design studio by Tom Kearns and his team. The Forte two-door was previewed as the "Kia Koup" Concept, and was also designed in Kia's California design studio. The Korean model went on sale on 22 August 2008. The US model was unveiled at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show.Hatchback
The Forte five-door hatchback debuted at the 2010 New York International Auto Show.LPI Hybrid
In 2009, Kia unveiled the mild hybrid Forte at the Seoul Motor Show for the South Korean market. Taking its underpinnings from the Hyundai Elantra LPI Hybrid, the car is powered by liquefied petroleum gas. It is powered with an 1.6-liter LPG engine coupled with a electric motor and a lithium-polymer battery pack, making it the first production car to use lithium-polymer batteries.Powertrains
Safety
The 2010 Forte received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.| Test | Rating |
| Overall: | |
| Moderate overlap front: | Good |
| Side: | Good |
| Roof strength: | Good |
| Head restraints & seats: | Good |
Market variations
Asia
- China
- Malaysia
Europe
In Russia and Ukraine, the Cerato is available as the Cee'd's notchback counterpart, with the coupe and sedan available together. The Forte is not available in other European countries, due to the relatively low popularity of small family sedans there. Despite the LPI Hybrid being launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Forte is still not offered in European countries outside Russia and Ukraine.North America
In the United States, the 2010 LX and EX included a 2.0-liter CVVT engine and a standard five-speed manual transmission, with an optional four-speed automatic or a five-speed automatic with the Fuel Economy Package. For the 2011 model year, the Forte is standard with a six-speed manual and is available with an optional six-speed automatic, with the four- and five-speed automatics being discontinued.The LX is the base model. It comes standard with electronic stability control, and seat- and side-mounted airbags. The standard stereo includes four speakers, AM/FM radio, CD/MP3 player, and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. An iPod-compatible USB input jack and an auxiliary port for an external music device and steering wheel mounted audio controls are also integrated with the sound system. Bluetooth handsfree technology is also standard. The second-tier EX adds air conditioning, power windows and door locks, cruise control, a six-speaker radio, a key fob with keyless entry, and turn signal indicators on the side mirrors. The SX has the 2.4-liter engine with a six-speed manual or optional five-speed automatic transmission for the 2010 model year and a six-speed from the 2011 model year. The SX also adds alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift lever, a tilting and telescoping steering column, sport-cloth seats, and a metallic finish to the interior. Later production models have soft-touch panels on the armrest and door, as well as on the dashboard. For 2011, the EX and SX sedans are automatic-only, while the base sedan and all models of the Koup and Forte5 continue to offer the choice of manual or automatic.
An optional Fuel Economy Package adds low resistance silica tires, a more efficient alternator, a five-speed automatic transmission, and aerodynamic enhancements to increase fuel efficiency. With the Fuel Economy Package, the Forte EX has a fuel consumption in city driving and in highway according to United States Environmental Protection Agency. Automatic transmission models include an "Eco" display on the instrument panel that tells the driver when better than expected fuel efficiency is reached, hoping to influence driving habits toward more efficient operation.
For the Forte Koup, an optional leather package is available on both EX and SX trims. When combined with the EX trim, leather is utilized for the upholstery, steering wheel and shift lever; heated front seats and a sunroof are also included with the package. When paired with the SX trim, it includes only heated leather seats and the sunroof, as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift lever are already fitted as standard.
The Forte sold in Canada has similar specifications and equipment as the US-market model. Some differences include the addition of power windows, door locks and power heated exterior mirrors on the base LX trim, a telescopic steering wheel on the EX trim, and a standard sunroof and automatic climate control system on the SX trim. The EX and SX also have a chrome-trimmed rear garnish and door handles. In contrast to the transmissions offered in the United States, the automatic transmission on offer in Canada is a 6-speed.
Kia Forte Furuidi (China) (2017–present)
Derived from the Kia Forte Furuidi or Kia Forte R variant of the first generation Kia Forte facelift, Dongfeng Yueda Kia developed a succeeding Kia Forte Furuidi model only available as an electric vehicle with the "ND" factory code featuring a completely restyled body.Second generation (YD; 2014)
Kia released images of the second generation Forte for the 2014 model year in late July 2012, when the company revealed its Korean-market counterpart, Kia K3. The car is completely redesigned with a lower, wider, and longer stance.The 2014 Kia Forte includes LED headlights and tail lights as a standard feature, and will further Kia's driver-oriented cockpit design inside. To make it more fuel efficient, the Forte is offered with the new Nu engine, in a 1.8 Liter DOHC MPi 4-cylinder producing with of torque, and a 2.0 liter DOHC GDI 4-cylinder rated at with of torque.
The car was presented to the public for the first time outside of South Korea on Santiago Motorshow as Kia Cerato, on 3 October 2012.
2017 model year update
For the 2017 model year, the Forte received a new facelift with restyled headlights and taillights.Forte Coupe (Koup)
The base EX comes standard with a 2.0-liter GDI four-cylinder Inline-four engine, and the SX comes with a more powerful 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces and of torque.The base Forte Koup EX comes with standard 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth®, SiriusXM™ Satellite Radio, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio and cruise control buttons, tilt and telescoping steering column, FlexSteer, power windows and LED positioning headlights with fog lights.
The Koup SX comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, UVO eServices with Rear Camera Display, dual chrome exhaust tips, and LED tail lights. The sportier SX also features performance enhancements including larger bumper and grille openings, larger front brakes, alloy sport pedals, black gloss grille inserts, and the front fascia and rear valance also include carbon fiber-look trim.
Both trims come with optional HID headlights, navigation system with HD Radio, heated steering wheel, power lumbar, sunroof, heated front seats and ventilated driver's seat, leather-trimmed seating, SmartKey with push-button start, and dual-zone automatic climate control.
The Forte Koup was discontinued after the 2016 model year due to slow sales along with the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
Trim levels (United States)
In the United States, the second-generation Kia Forte was available in four basic trim levels: LX, S, EX, and SX :The LX was the base model of the Forte, and offered a plethora of standard equipment: an AM/FM stereo with single-disc CD/MP3 player, Bluetooth, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and USB and auxiliary audio inputs with a four-speaker audio system, power windows and door locks, keyless entry with flip-key, exterior color-keyed door handles and side mirrors, fifteen-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers, a multifunction steering wheel, power rear trunk lid release, a split-folding rear bench seat, cloth seating surfaces, dual manually-adjustable front bucket seats, a 2.0L Inline Four-Cylinder gasoline engine, a six-speed manual transmission, and air conditioning. Additional options included sixteen-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, a 4.3-inch touch screen audio system with Kia UVO, premium cloth seating surfaces, a six-speaker audio system, and a six-speed automatic transmission.
The S became available in 2017, and added convenience features to the base LX trim level, such as: sixteen-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, a six-speed automatic transmission, a seven-inch touch-screen infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a six-speaker audio system, a power single-pane sunroof, and a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel. GPS navigation was one of the available options.
The EX was the top-of-the-line Forte trim level, adding features to the base LX, such as: sixteen-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, front fog lamps, power-folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals, a seven-inch touch-screen infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a six-speaker audio system, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, and perforated luxury leather-trimmed seating surfaces with dual heated front bucket seats. Additional options included a driver assistance package, GPS navigation, a 4.3-inch touch screen audio system with Kia UVO, perforated luxury leather-trimmed seating surfaces, dual heated front bucket seats, keyless access with push-button start, seventeen-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, a ventilated front driver's bucket seat, a single-pane power sunroof, a six-speed automatic transmission, and a rear spoiler.
The SX, only available on the Forte Koup and Forte5, was the top-of-the-line Forte trim level. It added the following options to the EX: GPS navigation, perforated luxury leather-trimmed seating surfaces, dual heated front bucket seats, a ventilated front driver's bucket seat, premium aluminum-alloy wheels, a 1.6L Turbocharged Inline Four-Cylinder engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, a seven-speed Dual Clutch automatic transmission, a power single-pane sunroof, and keyless access with push-button start. A six-speed manual transmission was the only available option.
Market variations
Asia
For the Singapore market, the car is known as the Forte K3 and is available in EX and SX trims, with LED daylight running lights and rear aircon vents standard. Eurostyle touchscreen entertainment system available as an optional upgrade through a tie-up with a local installer. The only engine available is the naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter gasoline Gamma MPi producing 128 hp.In the Malaysian market, the second generation Forte was launched in July 2013 as the "Kia Cerato". Throughout the time available in Malaysia, two engines were available: 1.6 liter Gamma II and 2.0 liter Nu MPi. At launch, two variants were available: 1.6 and 2.0 and in July 2014, a 1.6 KX variant was added positioned lower than the regular 1.6 variant. In November 2015, the "Koup" variant was added to the range powered by a 1.6 liter Gamma T-GDI engine. In December 2016, the facelift version was made available with the same three variants and engines to choose from.
Safety
In a small overlap frontal crash test carried out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Kia Forte scored the lowest in the group. The test simulates the front corner of the vehicle hits a tree, utility pole, or even another vehicle at 40-mph. According to the IIHS, this situation accounts for about a quarter of the serious injuries sustained in frontal crashes.IIHS test results based on the 2018 Kia Forte:
| Test | Rating |
| Overall: | |
| Small overlap front: | Good |
| Moderate overlap front: | Good |
| Side: | Good |
| Roof strength: | Good |
| Head restraints & seats: | Good |
| Front crash prevention: | Superior |
| Headlights: | Good |
| Child seat anchors ease of use: | Acceptable |
Third generation (BD; 2019)
On 15 January 2018 at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, Kia unveiled the third generation Forte sedan. Taking styling cues from the Kia Stinger, the new Forte adopts a cab rearward exterior, resulting in a fastback profile and a short trunklid. The car is constructed with 54% advanced high-strength steel that is stronger than the outgoing model. The Forte will be offered with a 2.0L I4 carried over from the second generation model mated to either a six-speed manual transmission, six-speed automatic, seven-speed DCT, or Kia's first CVT, which Kia refers to as an "IVT."The Kia Forte will be available in four trim levels: base FE and LX, mid-level S, and top-level EX, and will go on sale in the fall of 2018 as a 2019 model year vehicle.
The all-new Forte was designed by Kia lead designer Peter Schreyer, who also designed the Kia Stinger. The exterior profile of the 2019 Forte resembles that of the Stinger, and certain interior styling cues, such as a "Floating" center display touchscreen for the infotainment system, and round HVAC vents, were taken directly from the Stinger as well.
All trim levels of the new Forte includes many features that are otherwise optional on its competitors, including automatic front headlights, a tilt and telescopic steering column, a rear trunk light, dual-zone automatic temperature controls, rear seat heat ducts, an eight-inch, touchscreen infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, steering wheel-mounted audio system controls, a cruise control, Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Departure Warning, and Lane Keeping Assist.
In addition to its standard equipment, other notable available features on the all-new Forte include LED interior lighting, a ten-way, power-adjustable front driver's seat with lumbar support, heated and ventilated dual front bucket seats, soft-touch interior surfaces, a 320-watt, eight-speaker premium amplified audio system by Harman Kardon, wireless device charging, drive mode selection, and a smart cruise control.